Methods and apparatus for stacking receptacles in materials handling facilities

A receptacle stacker apparatus, comprising:

• an input component;
• an output component;
• a stack hopper configured to hold a stack of empty receptacles;
• a lift component operable to lift receptacles into the stack hopper;
• a stack push component operable to push a stack of receptacles out of the stack hopper onto the output component;
• and
• a control module operable to:
• detect an empty receptacle at the input component;
• direct the input component to input the receptacle to the lift component;
• direct the lift component to lift the receptacle into the stack hopper;
• detect that a current stack of receptacles in the stack hopper is completed;
• and
• direct the stack push component to push the completed stack out of the stack hopper onto the output component.

A method, comprising:

• receiving empty receptacles into a stack hopper at an automated receptacle stacker via an input conveyance mechanism that conveys the empty receptacles from one or more upstream stations to the receptacle stacker, wherein the stack hopper is configured to hold a stack of empty receptacles;
• for each received receptacle, adding, by a lift component, the receptacle to a current stack within the receptacle stacker;
• determining that the current stack is completed;
• and
• in response to said determining, outputting, by a stack push component of the receptacle stacker, the completed stack onto an output conveyance mechanism that conveys stacks of receptacles from the receptacle stacker to a downstream station.